An analysis of student writing samples from various WS classes during the academic year; and

The collection and assessment of graduating WS students’ essays regarding the program.

Assessment matters from 5-year Review:

Student Enrollment and Graduation Patterns dipped somewhat in 2006-07 but overall we are still seeing increased numbers of minors and increased interest in our classes. Our enrollments vary considerable depending upon how WS1500 Introduction to Women’s Studies attracts students. One student: Tiffany Meyers graduated this year. We had a number of BIS students who had WS has one of their three areas also graduate this year.

Community outreach has been a goal this year and we have a very active member of our executive committee who is from the community. We include service learning in our WS1500 course and have formed close relationships with Safe Habor in Davis County and the YCC in Ogden.

Curriculum Standards – Each WS faculty member has been given a copy of the new University and SS gen ed mission statement and student learning outcomes. Syllabi are collected from core courses each semester and reviewed by Coordinator as to coherence to goals and standardization of texts, difficulty of courses, workload, etc.

Our Five-year review also mentioned that there is some “fuzziness” with our curriculum in WS. In order to reduce this, the WS executive committee has been working to make some structural changes to our program. We are not yet ready to go forth on these changes but the following represent changes in curriculum based on review and assessment measures of the last three years:

Change number of credit hours to 23 so that students might have three courses of electives. Some interdisciplinary programs and minors, BIS programs, go as low as 18 to a high of 24.

Concerns expressed by Executive Committee in response to these proposed changes:

Do not reduce electives as they are attractiveChange name of Senior SeminarChange names of other courses which do not seem to attract studentsCombine Research Methods (4050) with Research Project (4060)

In addition to the material above we have an assessment committee each year which looks over the student evaluations from all of our core course and the student pre-and post reflection writing in our 1500 course as well as final senior seminar projects if available. They have reported to our Executive Committee that students who remain in WS1500 demonstrate value-added in learning the course objectives as well as increased sensitivity to diversity issues.